


Baby, I am just barely floating

by fangirl_mess



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 12:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17508938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_mess/pseuds/fangirl_mess
Summary: Inspired by notionally's Sink or Swim. It will have Jaebum's PoV of the events of Sink or Swim.





	Baby, I am just barely floating

**Author's Note:**

  * For [notionally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notionally/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Sink or Swim](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16698115) by [notionally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notionally/pseuds/notionally). 



> Hello, this is my first fic if I can call it even that. I wrote it after reading Sink or Swim. If you haven't read it, please check it out. It is a beautiful fic.
> 
> Also, I used some of the dialogues used in Sink or Swim just to co-ordinate Jaebum's PoV. This is not a stand alone fic. You have to read notionally's fic first.
> 
> Italics stand for Jaebum's thoughts.
> 
> I apologize for the typos and grammatical mistakes.
> 
> Bon appétit.

Jaebum was filled with an unexplained nervousness when Youngjae told him, he would be swimming the free fifty. at least that's what he has been telling himself. it had nothing to do with the fact that he would be competing with Jinyoung from Hyunwoo's swim team.

When they got to the swim meet, the first thing Jaebum saw was Jinyoung sitting on the bleachers rolling his shoulders back to release some tension and it created a pool of warmth in his underbelly. Flushing a little, he looked away and started stretching. He could feel someone glaring at him while he was stretching his arms and he resisted the impulse to look to where it originated from. When he felt the glare subsidized, he turned back at Jinyoung who was glaring at his Mark, his friend (Or was it boyfriend). Trying to get rid of the thought that an angry Jinyoung is really hot, Jaebum started walking towards him. he realized with dismay as he put together what Jinyoung was angry about.

_Maybe I should  not complete in the fifty free since Jinyoung would think I was challenging him._

Auddenly he heard Jinyoung shouting, " I don't have anything up my arse" two feet in front of him. Jaebum's whole demeanor turned awkward as Jinyoung's boyfriend started laughing and Jinyoung turned around. Jaebum schooled his features into amusement lest Jinyoung thought he was imaging him with something up his arse. Which wouldn't be far from the truth.

"What do you want?" said Jinyoung

Feeling nervous at the judgment the handsome face was looking at him with, Jaebum blurted out “I just came to let you know – I’m going to be swimming the fifty free today. I wanted you to hear it from me, though I believe word has already spread.” At this, he casts Mark a pointed glance, to which Mark returns a wholly unapologetic, shit-eating grin.

Jaebum watched with horror at how cutely Jinyoung's Adams apple bobbled when he cleared his throat.

_Oh dear oh dear oh dear_

“It’s none of my business what you swim,” he replies. "I don’t care.”

Jaebum licks his chapped lips as he tries to explain the situation.

“It was just how the assignments worked out,” explains Jaebum. “I don’t mean to compete with you.”

Jinyoung narrows his eyes. “Funny, because that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

Jaebum can't control the rush of anger Jinyoung always creates in him. He tries to not show his anger as he replies.

“I guess so. Well, I’ll see you in the water, then.”

With a petty desire to make him feel what he makes Jaebum feel, he smirked a little as he threw the parting shot “May the best man win.”

Before Jinyoung can see the hurt in his eyes, he hops down the steps and returns to his team.

“Don’t worry!” Jinyoung calls out after him, because Jaebum know in his heart that he won't let him have the last word.“I plan to!

Jaebum raises one hand in a backwards wave automatically as he power walks to his captain and best friend, Youngjae.

"Are you okay? You have never swam the free fifty before so it will be a new experience for you." asks Youngjae as he slings an arm around the butterfly swimmer.

" I am fine. I have trained for this." he replies

"but did you train to swim against the love of your life?"

" Jinyoung isn't the love of my life, fuck off Jae"

_He is. He totally is. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. What is wrong with me? I don't even know the guy._

" Who said i was talking about Jinyoung? There are a lot of swimmers you are competing against today."  
Jaebum just glares at him.

Daehyun comes close to the pair and chimes in " Jaebum-ah, I am saying this as your friend. Don't go easy on the guy even if you love him."  
Jaebum replies hotly " Jinyoung is a formidable opponent. i would never go easy on him since I need to go all out to compete against him."

Youngjae looks at him with sad resignation, " Go all out, buddy but guard your heart close.  Don't throw your heart away for a guy you know nothing about and who is probably in a relationship.

The words ring against Jaebum's head for a long time. even when he is at the starting block of the freestyle after finishing the relay against Jinyoung's team (where Jaebum's team lost). Filled with a desperate wish to make Jinyoung s e e him for himself, to make him remember him, Jaebum swam and swam. when he got to the other end and lifted his head up, he saw jinyoung lifting his head too.

“Good swim,” Jaebum says in an attempt to be friendly.

“Fuck off, Jaebum,” Jinyoung snaps.

Jaebum doesn’t stop swimming the fifty meter freestyle. The next time he wins, Jinyoung smiles tightly and mumbles something like " I will kill you" which wouldn't be surprising for Jinyoung.

During the last swim meet, Jinyoung wins and Jaebum wanting him to see him as not an enemy says "Good swim."

But the only reply he gets is "Fuck off, Jaebum"

Maybe he should give up.  
Maybe, he should stop expecting Jinyoung to say anything different.  
Maybe he will when his heart stops beating erratically whenever Jinyoung looks at him.

Summer vacation starts but Jaebum can't relax.. While he is getting a scholarship from his university, it is barely enough to cover most of his rent. He is working part time to save up some cash when he gets a scholarship from Yonsei university which will cover all of his rent and food.  The only condition of the scholarship is that he needs to join the swim team.  
Jaebum accepts in a  heartbeat even if his friends rib him a lot about it. Even if Youngjae is wailing about losing his best friend to the 'enemy'

Maybe the close proximity will diminish his crush.  
  
Summer goes by and his new team is going to meet a week before classes officially starts. But Jaebum joins them when school starts. Most of them are very friendly notably Yugyeom and Bambam. Hyunwoo puts an effort in making him comfortable. Even Jungkook makes an effort to talk to him.

After he finished running laps around the pool, he hoisted himself up. Running his hand over his hair and smoothing it back off his face., Jaebum sees his loml.

“Wh-what – are you fucking  _for real_ right now?” Jinyoung stammers. at him. And it's so adorable that Jaebum grins as he replies,

“Yeah, I’m your new teammate.”

“I guess you’re going to have to quit the team now,” says Mark, from somewhere behind him. The amusement is evident in his voice.

 “Fuck off, Jaebum!” spits out Jinyoung as he storms away.

Guess nothing changed.

But hope is a resilient bug that survives even after it is squashed again and again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think of this in the comment section. Please be gentle with your words. I am not an author. As a result the fic may be sub-par.


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